A Bit of Christmas Cheer
by GlowingRed
Summary: Hermione is edgy after dealing with an Azkaban breakout just before the Christmas holidays. Sirius tries to help her unwind, but work and Christmas guests are making his task difficult. A smutty Christmas two-shot with a holiday plot. HG/SB.
1. Chapter 1

Hermione Granger allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief when her hand finally grasped the cool doorknob of Number Twelve Grimmauld. Her day had been trying, and her nerves felt more than frazzled.

Her day had started out like any other – a delicious scone and steaming chamomile tea, hand delivered to her (promptly at 7am) by Joseph Boot, the younger brother of Terry Boot and her favorite intern at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She had nibbled her scone and sipped her tea while enjoying her morning copy of The Daily Prophet (which had increased significantly in reliability after Luna captured the spot as top editor). At 8am, when her day was officially scheduled to start, she had propped open her office door and worked diligently on a report, concerning the security at the upcoming Christmas Yule Ball, that Kingsley had kindly asked she complete.

Hermione had taken lunch at the small café located on the second floor of the Ministry with Padma Patil and Anthony Goldstein; the three classmates compared their work schedules for the day and amicably discussed their holiday plans. They promised to meet again for their usual lunch the first day they were scheduled to return to work.

Looking forward to the holidays, which were to begin in only a few hours, Hermione returned to her office whistling an old Muggle Christmas tune with a swing in her step, even stopping to gaily wish Draco Malfoy a happy Christmas at the lift.

It was less than three second after she seated herself again at her desk that, as Fred and George so eloquently said, shit hit the fan.

Her assistant, the voluptuous and ever chatty Veronica Jones, ran into her office, her heels skittering across the hard floor, with a look of fear in her eyes Hermione had not seen since her war days. She instinctually found herself on her feet, wand in hand, as Veronica caught her breath and gesticulated about wildly for several minutes, indicating there had been a breakout at Azkaban Wizarding Prison.

Hermione, as Junior Head of the Department, had spent the next 7 hours flying around the Ministry with her counterpart, the Head of the Department, Penelope Clearwater. The two women had interviewed countless people, including taking a trip to the prison to speak with the guards about the incident; Hermione had even gone as far as to search the surrounding grounds. Since the dementors had been done away with after the war, the Ministry had developed a special program specifically designed to train the wizard guards stationed there. As Harry had been asked to design the program and handpick the first group of trainees, those who left the program had been nothing short of wickedly talented with a wand. In fact, in the five years since the war's end, this had been the first breakout to occur.

Fortunately, the two prisoners who had miraculously managed the escape were found just after the clock struck 8. They had washed up on the rocks bordering the mainland, bruised and soaked, but alive. So Hermione had again traveled to the prison, this time to speak with the men and garner just how they had managed their escape (she was surprised to learn it was similar to Sirius' escape, with one of the men having entered the prison only a week prior as an unregistered Animagus, taking the form of small rabbit).

After taking record of their interviews and rewriting the messier parts to suit her orderly tendencies, Hermione returned to the Ministry and walked the report to Penelope's door, placing it in her mailbox; Hermione had shooed Penelope, who was now 8 months pregnant, back home as soon as word reached the Ministry that the prisoners had been apprehended.

Hermione had not, however, been ready for the tirade of scarlet letters that flapped around her doorway when she returned. The first Howler exploded so violently she was certain it had been waiting for hours. Unexpectedly, the magical public was emotional over the breakout, with roughly a fifty-fifty split between terrified and furious. The next three letters erupted simultaneously, blackening the golden plaque on her doorway. By the time she was even able to reach her door handle, two more had exploded into a fiery, sooty mess.

Batting away many more unopened letters as the next few transfigured into angry faces, Hermione made a grab for her leather briefcase and dashed back through her door, carelessly leaving it open in her rush to the lift. The little buggers were terribly persistent, however. By the time she reached the atrium, Hermione's ears were ringing and her fingernails painted in soot; feeling incredibly worn out, she sunk down onto the golden Fountain of Brethren to wait out the rest of the letters. It had taken a full fifteen minutes of explosions, but the last red corner of envelope eventually floated down to the floor.

Removing her hands from her eyes, she took a moment to sift through the remains of the envelopes. Each appeared to be addressed to the collective Department of Magical Law Enforcement, which explained why they had so kindly decidedly the attack her, as she was the only remaining member of the Department still at work in the Ministry. Picking herself up and dragging her feet to the allotted apparition point, Hermione absently thought it was better she had returned to the Ministry than her superior – Penny didn't need such stress at this time.

So, after a hellish day, Hermione was finally home and ready to begin her Christmas holidays. Her long fingers were bright red as she turned the bronze knob, the warmth of the house's interior immediately assaulting her running nose. She smiled unconsciously, quickly stepping out of the cold air and sinking back against the door.

It was only moments later that uproarious laughter filtered into the hallway, followed by the sound of someone coughing and renewed laughter at the misfortune of the choking individual. Racking her brain, Hermione tiredly remembered Sirius warning her that morning he would be hosting a poker game after hours. She shook her head and pushed away from the doorway, intending on greeting their guests before she took to her bed.

Cigar smoke assaulted her nostrils as she pushed the door open to one of several living rooms in the Black home, and Hermione immediately squinted. Unthinkingly, she waved her hand in front of her face and coughed.

Harry, sitting closest to the doorway, jumped up immediately upon her entrance and greeted her with an over enthusiastic, sloppy handshake that quickly turned to a hug. "'Mione!"

Hermione raised an eyebrow at her obviously sloshed mate and steered him back to his chair. "Hi, Harry. How's Ginny?"

Harry grunted a reply and Hermione rolled her eyes affectionately. She took a moment to look around the table at the gaggle of Weasleys and smattering of other wizards. Aside from every male Weasley sibling (everyone had returned home for Christmas), Harry, Remus and Sirius also occupied seats at the table. Drinks in hand and several of the brothers dragging from cigars, the room smelled nothing short of the busiest London pub.

"Her'inny!" Ron slurred with a lopsided grin. "Long time no see!"

She quirked an eyebrow, feeling tired and irked but she tried not to let his drunkenness bother her; she knew he meant well. "You know, Ronald, it's not my fault you don't come to visit us anymore."

Ron grinned. "Come visit me! Please, 'Mione. Pansy's cooking…"

Hermione grinned back. Harry had moved out of the old house almost a full year previously, at Ginny's insistence they find their own home to begin a family in. Ron had followed several months later, revealing his engagement to none other than Slytherin's Ice Princess, Pansy Parkinson. So Hermione had been left to board with only Sirius. Speaking of her housemate, she noticed he had both forgotten his undershirt and forgotten to button his shirt; although she suspected he had done so purposefully, she hardly minded, as Sirius's flat stomach was no sore sight.

The sound of breaking glass jerked her out of her reverie. She jumped, her head whipping up to the now-surprised face of her roommate. She looked from his face to the broken glass on the floor and back, her face flushing and fists tightening at her sides.

"Sirius! Is that my crystal?"

He ran a hand casually through his black bangs. "We ran out of glasses," he muttered.

Hermione stared at him with wide eyes, the stress of her day finally crashing down over her, causing her limbs to shake. "Sirius Orion Black! I have asked you multiple times to stop using my things when you drink, but you never listen! Bloody fucking hell, Sirius, that doesn't even belong to me! It was my father's!"

Hermione turned on her heel and stormed to the door, angry, unnecessary tears wavering in her vision. She wrenched the door open and turned around to glare at the shell-shocked man once more. "And for fuck's sake, this is home, not a brothel! Stop smoking like it is!"

She stormed away and up the stairs, stomping angrily over every step. The curtains over the portrait of Sirius' mother flew open, but Hermione already had her wand at the ready – thank Merlin that Harry had found a spell that could silence her without physically shutting the curtains. It allowed Hermione to continue her angry stomping in peace.

Reaching her room, she tossed her briefcase on the floor and flopped face first onto her bed with a groan. She immediately recognized her irrational behavior; the crystal was her favorite and Sirius _was_ somewhat disrespecting her things, but the broken glass was easily mended with magic. However, her fit had allowed her anger over the earlier Howler bombardment to dissipate some.

She flipped onto her back, unzipped her pencil skirt and shimmied out of the material. Hermione sat up, kicking her heels onto the wooden floor as she worked her arms out of her blazer. She worked the buttons of her blouse next, at the same time rolling to her knees and crawling to the top her bed. Finally, she shucked the garment, leaving her white cotton tank and silken black panties. Content with the sleepwear, she collapsed onto her pillow with a groan.

Five minutes later, Hermione reopened her eyes as another frustrated groan rumbled from her chest. She was too wound up to be able to sleep. She rolled over to stare at her ceiling. Of course, it was the result of a nearly 12 hour, hectic work day, but Hermione was happy to lay the blame on Sirius. She glared at the ceiling, clearly recalling his nonchalance as he passed his eyes over her upon her entry and his arrogant dress (or lack thereof). The man had taken to wandering around without a shirt, and sometimes in only a towel, shortly after Harry and Ginny had moved away. He never buttoned his shirt, if he did happen to be wearing one, leaving his gloriously toned abs for the world to admire.

Hermione found her fingers twitching at the memory of his soft shirt lying over his broad shoulders and naked abs; she groaned, keenly attuned to the needs of her body by this point in her life, and inched her fingers to her knickers. It was her custom to wind down a stressful day with a pleasuring visit south, and she should have known trying to sleep without it was simply not to be.

So she obliged to her body's wishes, slipping her hand beneath her panties, the silk cool on the skin of her hand. She dipped a finger into her core and was not surprised to find herself ready for the night's exploits; Hermione sighed contentedly, running her now wet finger back and forth between her folds slowly. She snuggled her head into her pillow, bringing her finger higher to run circles around her clit, teasing herself appropriately with a well-established rhythm. She continued her administrations for a while longer, alternating between lightly flicking and pinching her pearl and dipping back into her folds in a painstakingly slow manner.

Hermione found herself unabashedly wondering what the fingers of the shirtless, arrogant sex god (as the rumors told) would feel like under her hand. Her lower abdominals clenched and a quiet moan of his name passed over her lips. She paused long enough to reach for her wand on her nightstand. Setting it to vibrate, she took the object in her left had, allowing the tip to tease in and out of her dripping entrance; her right hand continued its circling, squeezing, and rubbing of her clit.

Within minutes, Hermione was panting without reserve into her pillow. She clenched her thighs and her back arched just slightly off her covers as she fought to hold on as long as she could, guaranteeing a stronger, sweeter release when she finally lost control. As her wet fingers passed firmly over her swollen nub, she dipped her wand into her center; it took only one final pass of her fingers to rip a moan from her lips, her hips bucking upward uncontrollably. She pressed her head into her pillow as the ecstasy flowed through her body for the following seconds.

Withdrawing her hand and wand from her knickers, Hermione shook with small after tremors of her self-administered orgasm. She sighed in relaxation; "Sirius," she moaned the object of her fantasies aloud to her room, turning happily into her pillow

But she only had another half minute of relaxation before, shockingly, she heard someone clear their voice. Hermione jerked out of her pillow and sat up abruptly, one hand reaching for her blankets (forgetting she was still mostly clothed) and the other for her wand. Her heart nearly stopped when eyes as dark as night met her own from across the room; his eyes were half lidded and staring at her intensely. In his hands he was carrying a silver try with a plate and glass.

Hermione lowered her wand, keeping her covers gathered to her body. She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Sirius?"

The slightly older man shook his head as if he had fallen into a trance. When he looked at her again, it was with decidedly more embarrassed eyes; his cheeks were even slightly red. "I brought you some cookies. And milk."

"You brought me some cookies," Hermione repeated in shock. "And milk."

He nodded slowly, scuffing his toe across the floor. "Harry explained the breakout. I sent everyone home, and fixed you these." Sirius indicated the tray, his eyes momentarily falling to his offering. "To apologize. Thought you might be stressed. The door was open…"

"You brought me milk and cookies." She paused for several very long moments. "You brought me milk and cookies," she repeated again. A large grin suddenly broke out onto her face and she began to laugh, holding the blankets tightly to her chest. "Milk and cookies! How very Santa Clause of you!"

Sirius raised an eyebrow in what looked like concern as Hermione continued to laugh, the day's stress and embarrassment at having been caught with her hand in her pants (quite literally) sweeping her up into a whirlwind of strange emotions. He set the tray slowly onto the floor, keeping his eyes trained on her.

Hermione continued to laugh. She finally shut her eyes tightly and breathed out heavily, grinning at the ceiling. "I ought to call you Santa," she muttered half-deliriously to herself. She opened her eyes to tell him of her idea, only to find him so shockingly close her breath caught in her throat.

After several attempts at speech, she was finally able to squeak out a few words. "If- if that's it, the snack sounds wonderful. Thank you, Sirius. I'm sure all I need's a little food."

Sirius blinked; had she really never noticed how long his eyelashes were? "That's not what I heard. What else do you need, Hermione?"

Hermione swallowed – hard. After Ron had moved out, their nighttime conversations had more frequently morphed to witty, flirtatious banter, but Hermione had assumed that was the result of Sirius' outgoing personality; not having time for affections of the opposite sex for well over a year, Hermione had hardly minded the fun. Now, though, to see him so seriously contemplating her, after months of nothing but playful words, was a frightful site. She swallowed again.

"I asked you a question, kitten." He was so close that she could feel his breath pass over her cheeks; he smelled of apple brandy.

"I-I'm fine," she choked into the silence.

He shook his head, his black hair falling into his eyes so much like his godson's always did; but Sirius's hair looked infinitely silkier, Hermione decided. She jumped when his calloused fingers touched the bare skin above her knee. His other hand crawled forward to press against her shoulder, lowering her back to her sheets as he lowered himself over her.

His lips found her pulse point and she gasped, unconsciously arching upward into him. She vaguely noticed he had lost his shirt somewhere between the first floor and her room, and she took advantage of that, her hands inching upward to grip his biceps. She needed something to anchor herself to this world, as her world was suddenly spinning.

"Sirius," she moaned, feeling him move the juncture of her neck and shoulder. He nipped over the sensitive skin gruffly before abruptly changing tactics and lathering her skin with his tongue.

Hermione actually felt Sirius's grin in her shoulder. "Yes, kitten?" She moaned again, and he chuckled. "I asked you what you need, Hermione. You have to answer."

Hermione settled for another quiet moan as he worked his way across her clavicle, nipping, suckling and lathering small circles against her skin. She tightly shut her eyes, her fingers gripping tighter to his arms. She didn't want to answer out loud; she was rather certain the moment she did that this wonderful fantasy would slip between her fingers. She squirmed underneath the older Adonis as he lightly tickled her neck again. In response, he brought his hands to her hips, pressing her squirming form into the mattress and she gasped. He soothed his fingers over the exposed skin between her tank and panties, drawing another small gasp between her lips. Sirius tickled over the silk of the thin barrier before walking his fingers upwards, over her stomach and stopping at her ribs. She groaned when he traced the underside of both her breasts with his thumb.

When his fingers stilled, she shook her head against the pillow. "Don't stop."

"Don't stop what?" he whispered innocently into her neck. He chuckled again, and finally he lifted his head to meets her darkened eyes. He blinked several times, watching her carefully. "You have to say it, Hermione."

She twitched beneath him, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, and whispered quieter than a mouse, "I want you. Don't stop."

That infamous Black smirk wound its way onto his face. "I don't think I heard that. You want who, kitten?"

Hermione finally found her courage, annoyed with his taunting, and glared at him with no real conviction. Had her hands been less occupied with his biceps, she might have hit him over the head. She cleared her voice. "Shut up, you twit, and kiss me."

He laughed, bringing one of his hands up to smooth through her chestnut curls. "There's our bossy little swot."

That time, she did hit him over the head.

He laughed at her as he finally lowered his head over her lips. It was blissful. Although Sirius had accumulated a number of small facial scars during the war, no enemy had marred his beautiful lips. They were full, round and red; Hermione marveled at how smooth they were, even during the cold, windy season. He peppered them masterfully from corner to corner of her own lips, drawing a small noise of protest from her at his teasing.

"Sirius," she growled up at him. He pulled away again to grin at her, this time kissing the end of her nose. She rolled her eyes. "If you don't get on with it, I'll be as old as you by the time we're through."

He let out a full-bodied laugh at her taunting. "As you wish, little girl."

Sirius' lips bent again to capture hers, pressing with a new insistence. His dark tongue darted out to smooth across her lower lip, and she gladly allowed him entrance. Hermione clashed back fiercely with her own tongue, eager to smooth over every crevice of his mouth to learn his unique taste (mixed with the apple brandy, of course).

Hermione gasped when he drew back, dragging her lower lip into his teeth and nibbling gently, groaning when he pulled back far enough to toe the brink of pleasure and pain. Her eyes shot open, falling back immediately to a half-lidded state as she stared up at him; he still wore that infuriating smirk, but she could tell by the coloring of his cheeks he was enjoying himself too.

Hermione took a moment to study him. One of the larger reasons she had broken off her relationship so long ago with Ron was the lack of physical connection. Hermione had been the one to initiate every sexual encounter between them. While she found she enjoyed being the dominant partner, Ron was never willing to clash back against her; his movements were passive – cute, but incredibly frustrating for someone of Hermione's temperament. She had taken several sexual partners since then, but fulfillment had been few and far between.

She knew Sirius to be as stubborn and hot headed as she often was, and she hoped their quickly escalating actions would do nothing to hurt their friendship in the end.

Hermione blinked, drawing herself back to the present to see Sirius playing with the sleeve of her tank, his fingers tickling under the strap. She moved her hand from his arm to the front of his shoulder, pushing gently into his skin. He rolled off of her compliantly, and she rolled along with him, landing in a straddle over his waist.

She bent to retrieve the lobe of his ear between her lips, sighing contentedly as she reconnected with his skin. When her kisses moved across his neck, she felt his deep throated growled vibrate through to her lips, and she smiled at the strange sensation. His fingers massaged small circles into her shoulders as her own trailed back and forth through the hair over his chest.

Lemons – his skin tasted like lemons; and he smelled of something deep and soothing, like cinnamon. The lightly salty taste combined with his intoxicating aroma made it difficult for Hermione to want to remove her lips from his skin at all. So she continued her attack, moving over the juncture of his neck and shoulder; she grazed her teeth over top the muscle covering his shoulder, leaving the tiniest of bite marks.

Sirius growled in approval beneath her, and Hermione shivered with pleasure knowing her administrations were undoing his control.

Hermione kissed downward, drawing wet circles around his right nipple before latching on gently with her teeth, pulling back enough to make him growl once again. She repeated the action on the other side, each time lapping gently over the strained area afterward.

Hermione continued downward.

When she reached for the buckle to his pants, his hands found hers to give pause. Hermione looked upward to see dark eyes staring back at her, but he cleared his throat and shook his head. Running a hand through her curls, he whispered, "You don't have to, kitten."

Hermione smirked up at him in response, kissing the hand that lay on top of hers before removing it. Hermione hoped he understood she appreciated his concern, but she was far from fearful of him. She flicked her tongue over her lip and whispered back, "I want to, Sirius."

Sirius shut his eyes and groaned, moaning something about 'women' and 'undoing.'

Hermione made quick work of unlatching his belt and unbuttoning his pants; the sound of the zipper being pulled downward was glaringly loud. She hooked her thumbs into the top of his pants, pulling down slowly and continuing to watch him with an amused smirk. He growled and made to quicken his undressing, but she swatted away his hand with an amused laugh, resulting in another string of quietly mumbled words and he glared at her lightly.

Finally, she freed his very erect member from the clothing, watching with an almost naïve fascination as it bobbed back and forth as he wiggled his pants off his ankles. He was large by her standards – nearly the length of her forearm. Her other lovers had been consistently skilled, but none had been so well endowed. Hermione reached forward, running a finger nail from base to tip, ending in a full circle around the head; her eyes flickered upward to gaze his reaction, only to see he remained propped on his elbows with his head hung backward and eyes closed.

Hermione grinned, repeating her actions again slowly. When she reached the head, she found him dripping with fluid, weeping over onto his length. She gathered a bit across her forefinger and thumb, rubbing them across one another and closing the gap to her lips.

At the sudden absence of her fingers, Sirius lifted his head; he opened his eyes in time to see her little pink tongue dart out to capture the cloudy fluid from her fingers, and he groaned in approvals. "Gods, 'Mione."

Hermione raised her eyes, staring at him as he stared at her. She kept his gaze as she lowered her head, her tongue again darting out to capture more fluid, this time from the head of his hardened cock. Sirius hissed through his teeth, his eyes squinting but never fully leaving hers.

"Mmm." The sound vibrated warmly through her chest as she fully sampled his taste. Much like his skin, he was lemony with a salty tang. Hermione found for the first time in her life enjoying the taste of a man's seed, and the thought caused the fire in her belly to lick higher.

Hermione dipped her head again, this time engulfing the tip with her lips, sucking gently and flicking over with her tongue as she released him. She repeated the action, swirling her tongue around his head like a French kiss. Now wet with a combination of his fluid and her saliva, Hermione tickled over the head and down his shaft with feather-light touches, kissing across his pelvis with her lips; she lightly bit over his hipbone, drawing a chuckle from him as she intentionally tickled him.

Hermione grinned up at him before returning to his standing member. She pierced him with her most sultry look as she lowered her mouth over his cock once more, pushing her lips past the head and down his shaft. She sucked him in slowly, relaxing her muscles until he bumped the very back of her throat; she found she could reach the base of him with her lips if she pushed very lightly downward.

Sirius groaned deeply at her efforts, one hand tangling into her curls while the other fisted the blankets. Hermione could tell he was trying hard to keep his breathing in check. "Do that again."

Hermione obeyed, this time sucking with more pressure on the way up; she released him with a _pop_, immediately dipping back down to capture him between her lips.

She continued her administrations – swirling her tongue, gently pumping up and down with her hand, sucking on the way up and sliding slickly on the way down, teasingly running her fingernails over the smoothest skin of his sack – until beaded on his lip and his panting was audible. He met her movements with small thrusts with his hips, holding himself back from hurting her with the last of his control. As the pressure his hand exerted on the back of her head increased, his moans became more frequent and explicative phrases flowed freely from his lips.

"Bloody fucking hell, Granger," he gasped when she twisted her head from one side to the other as she pulled up over his shaft. He met her gaze hungrily. "I'm going to come, kitten," he whispered to her, fingering her hair as he continued his thrusts. "Pull back, Hermione."

Hermione did as bade, bringing her tongue to his head and running two swift circles around the crown while continuing to pump with her hand. She waited for him to catch her gaze before plunging him back into the warm cavern of her mouth, sucking and swirling her tongue on the way down.

That was it for him.

"Fuck!" he shouted, his hand clamping down on her curls as his leg twitch. He exploded into her mouth with a cry of her name as she sucked upward, bringing him forcefully as she took every drop. He was finally forced to shut his eyes as a second wave of hot seed spurted from his cock across her tongue, groaning loudly and pumping several times more in quick succession. She continued swirling her tongue until his shuddering stilled, drinking in his entire sweet spill.

When the shuddering ceased and the groans of pleasure quieted, Hermione removed her mouth, gently cleaning any sticky fluid that had escaped with her tongue; she licked lightly over his sack, up his length several times, and finally finished with a wet kiss across his crown.

Sirius was still recovering in the pillows. Hermione lifted herself with her arms, sliding up his body with intent to tease; she started at her neck, sliding his cock across her clavicle, through the cotton valley between her breasts, over her stomach, and finally ending on the silken barrier across her core. She delighted to feel him harden slightly as she moved across him, even so soon after his powerful orgasm. She hummed in delight, pressing a kiss to his throat as she slid her fingers into his hair.

Sirius gripped her arms, pressuring her to raise her head and look into his eyes. There was a compassion there she only ever saw when he looked at Harry, mixed with an intense emotion she couldn't place; her stomach turned over seeing him so openly share part of himself with her.

Sirius ran a hand gently through her chestnut curls, stopping to scratch lightly at the back of her neck. The corners of his lips turned upward when she made a small, delighted noise. "Thank you, Hermione."

Falling back to her earlier demeanor, Hermione averted her eyes, fixating on his right ear. She cleared her throat lightly; suddenly very afraid she had come on too strongly; too much like a common whore. "Oh. You're welcome."

"Kitten," Sirius whispered to her, using his other hand to tilt her chin upward again. "Don't be embarrassed. That was the most mind blowing thing I've ever experienced."

Hermione took his compliment with an excited smile, the wariness disappearing. "Really?"

"For fucks sake, Granger," he answered with a chuckle. "Who knew you're such a dom in the sack?" Hermione blushed straight down to the roots of her hair, and Sirius chuckled at her again. "That's a good thing, kitten. Although, being a sub has its perks, too."

Sirius shot her a toothy grin and she rolled her eyes, laughing along with him. "You're such a git."

Sirius laughed, raising an eyebrow as he moved his hand from her chin to the strap of her shirt, fingering it gently. "Keep up insults like that, Granger, and I might not feel the need to repay you."

Hermione raised an eyebrow in challenge. "Oh, really?"

Sirius hummed in affirmative response. "Don't worry." He strained his neck to reach hers with his lips, nipping over the smooth skin to draw a small sigh from her. "You're in the clear for now."

Too caught up in his kisses to formulate a response, Hermione settled for another contended sigh, relaxing into him as he rubbed her shoulders and upper back. He wasn't satisfied with their innocent actions for long, though; after a particularly hard nip over her collarbone (which she was sure would bruise) he rolled them over once more, pinning her under his weight, his lips never disconnecting from her skin.

Sirius lifted his head to kiss her properly again. She clashed back with a fierce need and a small moan of delight as he swiped through her mouth with his tongue. They gave and took from each other, learning every sweet curve of the other's mouth while Hermione took to running her fingers over and over again through his silky hair. He ran his hands down her sides, rubbing small circles into her hips, dragging his fingers back up, and ending at the underside of her breasts.

When Sirius lifted his shoulders to better reach her mounds, his hips shifted against hers, his growing erection rubbing on her thigh. Hermione groaned, her grip on his hair tightening. Sirius growled back, gripping each of her breasts and massaging inward with his palms. Hermione gasped into another kiss, arching upward into his hands. He obliged her unspoken wish with a firmer grasp, rolling and pushing the soft skin under his hands.

After what felt like a millennia of slow touches, Sirius finally changed his tactics, stilling his hand movements and focusing only on his long fingers. He rubbed several times over each nipple; she was surprised suddenly when he pinched each bud lightly, rolling the tit between his fingers. Hermione wiggled underneath him from the sensations.

Sirius dipped his tongue into her mouth one last time before picking his head up and kissing again down her neck, stopping to pay attention to her ear, Hermione groaning when he dragged his teeth over the lobe. He continued his path, nipping again at her shoulder and lathing over the cleavage visible from her disheveled top. Then his mouth was on her through her clothes, suckling against her nipple as he flicked his tongue over the tip. Sirius released her, blowing cold air against the now wet, cotton-covered tit; Hermione moaned deeply.

Sirius played for another minute, delighting in the noises Hermione made as her chest arched upward to keep him from moving too far away. Sirius chuckled at the way her adorable actions made her look unbelievably sexy against him.

"Sit up some, kitten," Sirius whispered against her neck.

Hermione didn't waste a moment scrambling onto her elbows as he pushed the white cotton off her stomach, over her breasts, and pulled the tank from her arms. She leaned the rest of the way to kiss him once more before she fell back into the covers again.

Gods, her tits were gorgeous! Sirius's mouth watered as the perfect mounds bounced with her when she lay back. Her breasts were large, firm, and perfectly round; he knew from his earlier massage that each fit perfectly against his hand, but he only now realized how large they were against him. Each nipple still stood tall in the cool air, begging him closer. Even her areolas were perfect – small, deep pink, and the perfect size not to take away from the rest of her tits.

Hermione cleared her throat, growing nervous, as his movements had stilled completely.

Sirius tore his eyes from her breasts, looking up with a truly surprised expression. When he noticed her nervousness, Sirius barked out a laugh. "Fucking hell, Hermione, you can't seriously think I wouldn't find these," Sirius reached to tweak her nipples again, drawing a small whimper from her throat, "absolutely perfect. Have you ever looked at yourself, kitten?"

Hermione blushed, but she couldn't keep the grin from creeping onto her face. She shrugged, the action pushing her breasts again into his hands, and he smirked at her.

Unable to keep his mouth from touching her for any prolonged time, Sirius raised both eyebrows at her in playfulness before dipping his head back down and kissing the underside of her right mound. He reached with his fingers to tweak the bud again, watching as the cold, strained peak tightened further under his ministrations. His cock twitched against her thigh, and they moaned together.

Sirius kissed underneath her breast again, drawing the curve with his tongue and beginning to rub her other breast against his palm. His tongue moved upward, drawing a full circle around her areola, and Hermione gasped again. Not wanting to keep her waiting any longer, Sirius dragged his tongue directly over her now fully erect nipple. Hermione mewled cutely when he pulled the bud fully into his warm mouth.

He rolled it over and over under his tongue, Hermione gasping and mewling along the way. Occasionally, Sirius grasped her tit between his teeth, pulling back until she inhaled deeply before releasing the sensitive area; he would follow by gently suckling the bud until she was again moaning under his tongue.

After paying sufficient attention to her gorgeous breasts, Sirius kissed and lathed downward, taking in the sweet scent of her and her just barely tanned skin. Her stomach was as well toned as the rest of her small body, with two faint lines showing the curve of her abdominals. He noted a jagged scar close to her belly button, recalling she had been cursed by a Death Eater in the Department of Mysteries (the very place he had come so close to losing his own life) and tortured by Bellatrix nearing the war's end; he made a note to ask her later.

Sirius reached the line of her black, silk panties and kissed along the edges, making sure the nibble on her hip with intent to tickle, much as she had done to him. Hermione squirmed underneath him with a giggle that abruptly cut off when he reached down to rim her most intimate parts through the black silk.

Sirius smirked up at her. "You're wet."

Hermione huffed in amusement and wiggled underneath him again. Sirius obliged with a grin, hooking his fingers into the rims of her panties and dragging them down to her ankles, tossing them unceremoniously onto the floor.

Sirius sat back onto his heels to finally look at her fully naked self. Hermione allowed him, not moving against her basic instincts. Sirius had experienced his fair share of unclothed women in his lifetime, but he had never experience one quite like Hermione. While many of his conquests were attractive at first glance, some small flaw marred their naked figure. Hermione, he instantly decided, was the only women who could never wear clothes to do her incredible body justice.

Her feet were tiny, and her ankles were slim, leading into toned, tan calves that still held their muscle from her days of running in the war. The hair was shaven from her legs, and the only scar that remained was faint against her right thigh. The juncture at her thighs was a perfect, feminine 'v', with tight chestnut curls shielding him from her lower lips. Her pelvis and stomach were toned, accentuating further the large, round tits that flowed into delectable shoulders and a long neck. Sirius finished raking her over with his eyes, finally coming up to look into the prettiest face he had ever seen.

He smiled gently to reassure her. "You are truly beautiful, kitten." He surprised her when he dipped forward and rubbed his nose through the curls protecting her most feminine parts. Hermione could hear his deep inhale and satisfied growl. "And you smell like heaven." Sirius brought his eyes up to meets hers. "Open your legs for me, Hermione."

Taking immediately to his commanding, deep tone, Hermione slid her thighs apart and bent her knees to please him. Sirius groaned when her scent washed fully over him and he got his first view of her core. Hermione's lower lips were a deep pink, with her clitoris just peaking out from her folds. She was dripping wet, the fluid glistening over her pink skin.

"Gods, angel," Sirius groaned, his eyes widening slightly to take in the full site of her. He leaned forward again, repeating his earlier action and rubbing his nose against her clit; Hermione mewled underneath him, her fingers digging into the only part of his shoulder she could reach.

Taking another breath of her intoxicating scent, Sirius poked out his tongue to sample her, growling possessively as her warm fluid washed over his tongue. His tongue returned for more, lapping over the edges of her lower lips completely.

He twirled the tip of his tongue over the very top of her clit, drawing a strangled cry from her throat as she rocked toward him.

Smirking at the wanton noises she made, Sirius grabbed Hermione's hips and tilted them upward, bringing her lower back off the bed and forcing her legs to hang over his shoulders. From this angle, he had a perfect view of her quivering center, and his tongue dipped back in to enter her.

Hermione positively cried at his intrusion.

So he continued – dipping his tongue in and out of her slit and nibbling on her swollen lower lips with care. Hermione moaned unrestrainedly beneath him, meeting the thrusts of his tongue with small bucks of her hip.

"Yes, yes, yes," she hissed, screwing her eyes shut tightly as he fucked her fast with his tongue.

Hermione's juices now covering his lips and tongue, Sirius moved again and swiped his tongue over her now engorged, sensitive little pearl. Hermione cried out again, followed by another moan as he swiped slowly back and forth over her nub with the tip of his tongue.

"Sirius," Hermione moaned, clawing again at his shoulders with hair short nails. "Don't stop. Don't you dare stop."

Sirius growled back a response that was muffled by her quim. He felt her leg muscles clench around his shoulder when he suckled over her clit, pulling it from her body until she moaned before releasing her momentarily and then diving back in. He teased and taunted her with circles of his tongue and deep kisses against her core.

Hermione was a panting mess beneath him. "Oh, Sirius! Ohhh. Just like that. Oh, _that!_ Yes, yes, yes, Sirius!"

Sirius felt her lower lips spasm, and moments later a fresh flow of her liquid flowed across his chin. After one final swipe to her sensitive clit that drew a long moan from her chest, Sirius moved downward and dipped his tongue into her again, plummeting in and out as her lower lips quaked around him.

Riding the waves of powerful orgasm, Hermione cried his name to the ceiling until her legs calmed to small trembles.

Sirius lower her hips gently back to the mattress and wiped her juices from his chin. He quickly crawled up her body to lie against her warm skin, peppering kisses over her shoulder as she recovered.

When Hermione's eyes fluttered open, she rolled her body into his, sighing happily. "Sirius?"

"Yes, kitten?"

"Let's do that again." Sirius barked out a laugh at her innocent tone, shaking harder when she opened her eyes to look at him curiously. When the silent 'oh' crossed her lips, she grinned with him. "Not immediately, you twit. Just, you know, again sometime."

"It's a date," he purred into her throat, kissing over her pulse roughly. He had every intention of doing that again, and hopefully within the next several hours.

Just as he was nibbling his way back over to the top of her breasts, the most awful sound met his ears: someone knocking on his door.

Sirius sat up and looked at Hermione, who was giving him a bewildered look. He shrugged his shoulders. "Ignore it," he muttered, lowering his head again to her neck.

The knock, however, again came loudly; the front door had been charmed so that a knocking would sound from every wall in the house so Sirius would always know when he had a visitor.

He growled into Hermione's neck, cursing about the time of night and visitors, but he eventually picked his head up nonetheless, giving her an apologetic look. "I'll be right back."

So Sirius scurried out of bed, neglecting his boxers and simply yanking his jeans back on. He zipped them up quickly and was out her door in a flash.

Too curious to be left lying naked in her bed, Hermione slipped back into her pajamas (and unlike Sirius, her undergarments), grabbed her robe from the bedpost and headed out the door after him. She could already hear the commotion coming from the downstairs. She hurried her step, taking the stairs two at a time.

As disappointed as she was to be interrupted, Hermione couldn't help but giggle when the door finally came into view. Several stairs below her, Sirius was standing in front of the door with his shoulders noticeably clenched; his godson has just slipped past him, into the warm of the house; and Remus was standing on the stoop, gesturing about something or other.

Hermione stepped closer to listen to Remus' story. "I tried to take him home, Padfoot, but he and Ginny recently made their house unplottable, and I haven't been to see them yet. I couldn't get through any of the barriers or even find the place."

Hermione could hear Sirius's growl from her place on the steps. "And why couldn't Harry stay with you?"

Remus shrugged. "You know Tonks. She doesn't like anyone coming back to her house totally trashed. It's our understanding: she doesn't bring home her drunk friends, and I don't bring home mine."

Sirius growled again. "Ron's?"

At that moment, Harry caught site of her on the stairs and stumbled toward her, grinning like a small child. "'Mione!"

She smiled in amusement at her best friend. "Have a good poker night, Harry?"

"I won!" he shouted excitedly, spinning in circles. Hermione took her eyes off him for a moment to find she had missed Remus's explanation for Harry being unable to bed with Ron and Pansy (although, she had suspicions it had to do with the latter subject).

It only took that long for her to take her eyes away. A spinning Harry tumbled into the umbrella stand, knocking it and the nearby table off kilter; the vase on the table rocked to the side before she could grab it and crashed to the floor.

Sirius whirled on his heel, looking irate; his features softened slightly when he caught site of his surprised godson. He sighed, stepping back into the home and away from his argument with Remus. Sirius slung an arm under Harry and began hauling him down the hall. "Come on, Potter; you'll be sleeping on my couch."

"I want to sleep on a bed!" Harry complained, accepting Sirius's help in walking.

Sirius huffed in amusement. "I'm hardly about to drag your drunk ass up the stairs."

Laughing to herself, Hermione looked to the door to see Remus pointing his wand at the vase; several intricate waves later and it was repaired, sitting again on the upright table. She smiled kindly at him. "Thanks, Remus. I must have left my wand upstairs."

Remus looked over her head and laughed at the stumbling pair. Hermione turned to watch as well, leaning on the doorframe with Remus beside her, watching their friends argue amicably down the hall.

"You know," Remus began, not lifting his eyes from his friends, "they remind me of Sirius and James in school. There was a night at the end of our sixth year that James had finally managed to start a real conversation with Lily; no fights or jeers. They were laughing about something. I remember so well because I had to physically drag Peter from the room to keep from interrupting. Just as I was beginning to think Prongs and Lily might be getting over their childish feud, a drunken Sirius came bursting into the common room to ruin their moment. Lils was so furious she didn't speak to Sirius for a week."

Hermione smiled as Harry stumbled into the wall, pulling Sirius over with him. She heard Sirius curse and Harry giggle again. "What's that have to do with this?"

"I just thought you might enjoy the story." Remus laughed and Hermione turned around to catch his wolfish grin as he turned back to the apparition point. "Enjoy your night, Hermione."

With another wolfish chuckle and a wink, Remus disappeared into the cool night air.


	2. Chapter 2

"Go faster," Hermione groaned, screwing her eyes shut and running a hand through her disheveled hair.

Her beloved interior decorator for the upcoming Christmas Yule Ball, Theodore Nott, glared down at her from his position on the ladder, the silver garland in his hands crinkling softly in the silence. Only when she groaned again, pressing her fingers to her temples, did he soften his glare, sitting down on top of the ladder and laying the garland across his lap. He chose to ignore her griping. "Your eyes are bloodshot, sweetie."

Hermione groaned again. "No doubt," she muttered, instantly regretting her word choice when he raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow at her snarky comment. Hermione shook her head, waving her hands in front of her face. "Sorry, Theo, it's been a long week."

Theo's eyes lit up, grinning at her with childlike excitement. "Come tell me about it! I was about to take a short break anyways. I'm parched."

Making sure the garland would not fall from his lap, Theo pointed his wand at the ladder beneath him, waving circles around it until the ladder doubled in width. Newly stretched, Theo patted the empty section of the ladder next to him. Hermione couldn't help but laugh, climbing up the ladder steps to accept his offer. She sat down next to him, smoothing her skirt over her legs.

Theo looked around, settling on a few discarded nails on a nearby table. Summoning them to his hand, he transfigured them into two mugs, filling each with a quick _Augamenti_ and proceeding to warm them. He next pulled two teabags from the inside of his pocket and a small vial. Handing her a teabag, he poured half the vial into her mug before she could protest.

Hermione looked up at him with an amused expression. "Spiking my drink, Nott?"

"Wouldn't think of it, Granger. You know where my interests lie," Theo answered with a wiggle of his eyebrow, indicating his very un-Slytherin-like sexual preferences. "It's pepper up potion. I thought it might be a long night, but it looks like you need it more than I will."

"Oh," Hermione started, swirling her tea bag around with her finger. "Thanks."

"Don't think of it." Theo waved her off. "Now, what's got you all bothered?"

"Just the week." Hermione sighed, testing the temperature of her tea with the tip of her finger. Finding it cool enough, she took a long drink and followed with a satisfied sigh. "Things have been hectic with the Azkaban breakout."

"Don't I know it. The news actually got Zabini to drag his ass back to England. Wanted to make sure we were all right; apparently, the news got jumbled up on the trip to Italy. He thought it was a mass breakout rather than just a couple of no goods."

"Oh, how is Blaise?" Hermione asked absent mindedly, internally sighing that she now had to make certain to get the correct story relayed to the national news sources before a larger incident occurred.

"Wonderful, it seems. He's found himself a Mediterranean broad and they're head over heels. And he's holding up well; still has the finest ass on a man I've ever seen." Theo smacked his lips together in an over dramatic fashion, causing Hermione to laugh loudly.

She nodded her affirmation. "I may agree with you on that point."

Theo shook his head, taking him back to the present. "Anyways. The breakout?"

"Right." Hermione shook her head as well. "Well, the night of was a late night for me – with all the paperwork," she quickly amended, her cheeks tingeing pink at the thoughts of what she and Sirius had shared that night. She lightly cleared her throat. "The next two days were full of paper work, interviews, and press meetings. I actually spent two nights sleeping in my office; had to conjure a bed out of an ink pot."

Theo tsk'd her. "No wonder your eyes are so red."

Hermione shrugged. She had done the work required of her, even if it was the holidays. "Duty called. The night after I spent with Ginny. Luna's catering the ball, and Ginny has just bought a new home with a fantastically large kitchen. Luna wanted to try out several new recipes and needed approval."

"You haven't been home in three days." It was a statement, not a question. "And you're running yourself dry. Go get some sleep, Hermione, I can take care of everything here."

"No!" Hermione protested, shaking her head vehemently. "I couldn't do that! I couldn't possibly leave you here to finish everything by yourself."

Theo tsk'd again. "All I've left to do is this garland and the charms, sweetie. The garland's a quick task and the charms are really a one-person thing. I'll be perfectly fine."

Hermione sighed, looking up at him for affirmation. Theo nodded, patting her gently on the knee. Finishing the last of her tea, Hermione banished the soaked tea bag and returned the mug to its original form. Sending the nail zooming back to the table, she sighed in appreciation. "Thanks, Theo."

"Of course," Theo answered, patting her knee again with a grin. "Besides, I remember what you wore in school, Granger; your fashion taste will be more of a hindrance to my decorating as is."

Hermione rolled her eyes, maneuvering her legs back down the steps and hopping off the ladder. "You're such a snake."

"Enjoy your night, Princess," he laughed at her with a waggle of his fingers. Hermione laughed back, waving before Apparating away from the ballroom and back to the lawn of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

The cold air and bitter wind was sobering. Shivering against the night without a coat, Hermione walked quickly to the door, her mind flying with thoughts of what waited for her behind its oak surface. After Harry's appearance four nights previously, she had retired to bed while Sirius was still taking care of his godson. She hadn't seen Sirius in the time between then and now; she only hoped he wasn't angry with her.

Pushing the door open, she was a bit shocked to find the hallway completely dark. Sirius always left the lamps burning. Pulling her wand from her robe, Hermione lit the lamps and stepped into the chilly hallway, making quickly toward the stairs where more warmth awaited.

She was forced to light the lamps wherever she went, illuminating a path through the dark home. Reaching her room on the third floor, Hermione looked around in a circle for her roommate, but he was nowhere to be found. She shivered again and took quick steps to her door; the Black family home could be incredibly creepy in the dark.

Shutting the door quietly behind her, Hermione found her bed to be made and the clothes she had discarded on the floor in the hamper. There was no trace of her adventures from the other night.

Feeling a bit spooked, Hermione slipped out of her clothing, pulling from her drawer a sheer night robe and making for her bathroom. She swiveled her head as she went; there was no note from Sirius, and his clothing was gone. Hermione shook her head, pushing thoughts of him aside as she brushed her teeth, combed her hair, and readied herself for a real night's sleep.

Returning to her bedside, she discarded her robe, slipping completely starkers under her duvet. Snuggling into the pillows, she was asleep almost immediately, floating through dreams of erotic whispers and dark, shaggy hair.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Hermione leaned the rest of the way over her bathroom counter, steadily holding her lipstick in her right hand while balancing herself over the marble with her left. She smacked her lips together, reaching for her wand; she performed the charm to keep her lips perfectly painted red throughout the night. Finishing with a bit of shiny gloss, Hermione picked her shoulders up straight to survey the final picture.

She looked nice, she decided. Her painted red lips were really the only made up part of her face. Her skin was already smooth by lucky genetics, and her mask would mostly cover her eyes. She had opted for a bit of golden eye shadow in any case.

With a satisfied hum, Hermione found her mask with her fingers, fitting it snuggly to her face. She again held her wand aloft and spoke another charm, feeling the edges of the mask warping; when the magic stopped flowing, she opened her eyes and ran her fingers around the edge of the mask, finding it flush with her cheeks and hairline.

Hermione had chosen the kitten mask just shortly after purchasing a second furry friend several months previously; her beloved Crookshanks had passed away that summer, and she felt incomplete without some sort of pet to give attention to. Black, like her new friend, the mask was covered in soft fur, with long tendrils coming from the top. Two small ears with pink centers peaked out from within the mess of fur.

Hermione reached for the first furry tendril at the top of her mask, twisting it into the smooth curls at the top of her head, pinning it back when the deep chestnut brown and midnight black melded together perfectly. She continued twisting the tendrils into her mane, molding a do with a medium crown; she pinned the remaining curls up on the sides, allowing them to spiral recklessly down her shoulders. The top of her hair was black like her mask, with only the occasional golden highlight peaking through. It flowed gradually back to dark chestnut near the top of her neck.

Looking in the mirror, Hermione gasped out an excited, 'Oh!' and quickly grabbed for her wand. She again pointed it at her face, screwing her eyes shut and focusing her mind.

Opening her eyes, she was thrilled to see her transfiguration had been a success; her usual nose was smaller, with a rounder tip that was distinctly more catlike. She wiggled her nose, laughing when the movement reminded her of Samantha from Bewitched, her favorite television program growing up. She grabbed her blush and painted over the end of her nose, laughing delightedly at the affect.

Hermione finished by grabbing the costume whiskers she had picked up, magically securing them near the sides of her nose.

Satisfied she had completed her look, she stepped back into her room for the final piece. Slipping out of her sheer night robe as she walked, Hermione reached out to run her fingers over the smooth satin of her evening gown. She picked it up, carefully shimmying her nude form into the beautiful creation. Balancing on her bed, she slipped black kitten heels (she laughed at the word play) onto her feet. Smoothing the material, she walked to her full-length mirror for one last look.

The dress had been hand picked by Ginny during her most recent trip to Italy with Harry. The bodice was strapless and snug, accentuating her small waist. The dip at the top assured no fabric covered the valley between her breasts, allowing for her modest cleavage to show. The fabric finally loosened around the middle of her thigh, with no real form that flowed to the tops of her heels. Tiny white beads were secured to the looser fabric below her hips, spread out at the top and becoming more concentrated near the dress's hem, much like a waterfall. In the back, the dress began again just before the swell of her bum, with two thick ribbons crisscrossed into two Xs assuring the bodice did not slip.

With a simple spin in the mirror to make certain she was put together correctly, Hermione slipped her wand into the small wrist purse she had chosen and was out the door. She sighed when she made it to the kitchen, not once having seen a trace of her roommate. She was determined to enjoy this night, but she couldn't deny she was saddened by his absence.

Stepping into the dark fireplace gingerly, she let go the powder from her hand and spoke, "Davis Ballroom, England."

When the spinning sensation stopped and she had gathered her wits about her, Hermione stepped gingerly from the new fireplace, ducking to make certain she did not bump her head on the mantle (a mistake she had made the first time she visited used that particular fireplace). After wiping soot from her arm, she looked up to see a young boy from the Ministry ready to great her.

"Good evening, Miss Granger," he greeted politely. She couldn't remember his name, but she was quite certain she had passed him before in the Ministry lift. "Let me take your coat."

"Thank you," she responded, passing off her shawl to the young man. "Are the coat room shifts worked out to your liking?"

"Yes, ma'am," he answered as he hung her coat on one of the many hooks. It was quite obvious the room had been magically enlarged; she would estimate two hundred coats already adorned the walls. "We are switching shifts every two hours so each of us has a chance to enjoy the night."

"Excellent." Hermione accepted his extended arm, allowing him to escort her to the ballroom door. "I hope you enjoy your night."

"Thank you, Miss Granger. I do hope you don't find it too bold to voice how lovely you look tonight."

Hermione felt her cheeks reddened; the boy was several years her junior, but she always appreciated praise. "It's quite alright. I appreciate it very much."

With a nod and a grin at her approval, the boy opened the ballroom door and waited until she had passed through to shut it quietly behind her.

Hermione grinned fully at the completed vision. The ballroom belonged to Johnson Davis, an elderly member of the Wizengamot, who had kindly donated his estate to the evening's festivities; the manor was nestled in the middle of the English countryside. Guests had been asked to use the floo system so as to not alert any Muggles to the gathering. Several new fireplaces had been temporarily installed to manage the influx of people.

The ballroom alone was quite gorgeous, with pure white walls decorated by floor to ceiling windows every ten feet; the ceiling was painted with pure, glinting gold with silver lined paintings that reminded Hermione of the Sistine Chapel.

But Theo had done a magnificent job, too. Garland crisscrossed over the ceiling beams and wrapped around the pillars near the entrance. Small fairy lights suspended within the garland kept the room lit dimly, intensifying the atmosphere. Tiny faeries themselves floated ten feet over the tables and dance floor, the small, angelic voices providing a constant hum. Floor to ceiling banners of red, green, and silver hung between windows; Hermione had argued silver was not a true Christmas color, but Teddy had refused to budge on that point. Looking at the way the silver meshed so familiarly with the green, Hermione couldn't help but laugh at Theo's Slytherin side shining through.

A band played on a stage set up on the only side of the room not decorated by windows, and a table of beverages and finger foods sat nearby. Guests flowed from the dance floor to the tables and back, talking amicably and enjoying the evening. Hermione grinned again, seeing Theo had taken to installing a small bar in the corner of the room against her initial wishes.

Wanting to thank him for his work (especially as he had done most of it without her!), Hermione scanned the room for the tall boy. Unable to initially spot him, she made her way toward the bar, where she was not surprised to find him with his long time friends.

He spotted her before she had fully wound her way through the crowd, and lithely maneuvered himself to her side. She noted he was appropriately dressed as a snake, with a deep green mask and his hair smoothly tied back. He took her wrist and pulled her the rest of the way back to the bar. "You're late!"

"I slept in," she responded happily. Truthfully, she had dawdled some to see if Sirius would make an appearance.

"Wonderful!" Theo responded, pulling her the rest of the way into his group. "I'm glad to see you've rested."

"Thank you again for that." Hermione gestured around the room. "And thank you for this! It looks absolutely beautiful!"

Theo grinned, snaking his arm around his long time beau, Seamus Finnigan (appropriately dressed as a lion). He inclined his eyebrows to the ceiling. "Did you see my final touch?"

"No," Hermione murmured, immediately lifting her eyes skyward. She took a moment to scan the ceiling before frowning. "What did you do?"

Theo pointed a spot on the ceiling just behind her. "Several of those faeries may be carrying mistletoe. Flying about the room and whatnot."

Hermione grinned and laughed with him. "You really are a snake, aren't you?" Theo merely grinned at her compliment, raising his mask with a raise of his eyebrows. Hermione took a moment to nod her hellos around the group, smiling at Seamus, Draco, Gregory, Blaise and his date. "It's nice to see you, Blaise."

"You as well, Hermione," Blaise responded, taking a slow drink from his glass. "Enjoying your time with the Ministry?"

"As much as it can be enjoyed," she responded. "Theo tells me you're having a right ball in Italy."

Hermione smiled again at his date, who merely grinned and planted a kiss on his cheek. Blaise took a moment to glare at Theo for blabbing about his personal life. "It's been an experience; nothing like England. Although I am happy to return for a visit."

"Well, it's good to see you," Hermione answered in a friendly manner.

The group of mostly Slytherin's fell back into their previous conversation, and Hermione took another moment to scan the room. Several days previously, Sirius had indicated he was planning to attend the Christmas Yule Ball. She hoped to find him before the night was over.

She was pulled out of her search when someone tapped her on the shoulder. Turning around in surprise, Hermione found herself looking at someone who was unmistakably a Weasley. She had to peer under the pile of hair to identify Ginny, who was grinning broadly.

Ginny had teased her hair into an incredibly wild mane, which flowed uncontrollably around her shoulders and back. Hermione noted she had intertwined golden ribbon into her hair, as well. Taking a closer look at the sharp features of her mask, Hermione made a small 'oh' as she deciphered Ginny's character.

"A sphinx?" Hermione asked her best female friend.

"You got it, kitten," Ginny laughed, indicating Hermione's own mask. The nickname struck her, but she didn't let her grin falter. Ginny reached up to feather her hand over the top of Hermione's head. "You look damn good, 'Mione!"

"Thanks, Gin. You look fantastic, too."

Someone interrupted from behind them with a snort. Hermione turned around in surprise to see Draco Malfoy, who had become generally good tempered, looking at them with disdain through his deeply colored mask. "Did you stick your head in a dryer, Weasley, or could you not afford a hairbrush?"

Ginny refused to acknowledge his remark with words. She stomped past him, picked up two drinks from the bar, and stormed back past Hermione, indicating she should follow. Hermione hurried after her friend.

"What was that?" She asked breathlessly. Ginny slowed down once they were far enough away from the bar.

"Do you remember when the transportation department got into that scuffle last week about wages, and they shut down the floo, the visitor's entrance, and the lift? Malfoy and I may have been stuck in that lift for the full two hour long fiasco."

Hermione clucked her tongue, finally catching up to walk beside Ginny. "I thought you two got on well enough?"

Even in the dim lighting, Hermione could see a blush creeping up Ginny's neck and cheek. "Draco didn't think I was still with Harry," she mumbled.

Hermione made a noise somewhere between a gasp and a sputtered laugh. "He didn't!"

"Let's just say Slytherin's Spoiled Prince doesn't take well to rejection."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "That's bloody brilliant."

"Oh, hardy har har," Ginny responded with an eye roll. She shoved the second drink in her hand toward her Hermione (a simply fire whiskey with a candy cane embellishment) and quickly changed the subject. "Ron and Harry will want to say hello."

"Of course," Hermione answered, still grinning at her good friend.

They reached her other best friends a moment later. Harry, dressed as a Norwegian Ridgeback, greeted her with a hug before reaching an arm out for Ginny. "You look great, 'Mione."

"Thanks, Harry." She frowned momentarily. "Say, you haven't heard from Sirius?"

Harry shrugged, taking a drink from Ginny's glass. "Nope. Haven't heard from him in a few days, actually."

"Oh," Hermione answered, trying not to sound saddened. She smiled at her other friend. "Hi, Ron. Pansy."

Dressed as the King and Queen of Hearts from _Alice's Adventure in Wonderland_ (a Muggle tale Hermione was surprised Pansy was familiar with), the couple looked attractive together. Ron grinned at her. "Hey, 'Mione."

Pansy nodded her greeting, still not quite comfortable with the group of Gryffindors. She was quickly tugging on Ron's hand. "Dance with me?"

"Of course, babe," Ron answered with a grin, throwing back his drink and excusing himself from the group.

Ginny and Harry cast each other a sidelong glance, prompting Hermione to shoo them away. "Go. I'll be fine. In fact, I think I just saw Professor McGonagall wander in, and I would love to say hello."

That, of course, was a total lie, but she didn't want her friends to hang back on her part.

Both leaving her with a parting grin, Hermione stood on her heels and watched her friends dance, quietly sipping at her drink. She told herself she wouldn't think about it, but Sirius's absence was starting to get at her. She hoped he wasn't mad at her, and prayed he would allow her to explain her disappearance over the last few days.

Slipping off into musings about her absent roommate, Hermione didn't notice anyone approach her from behind. She jumped when a hand tapped her on the shoulder.

A wide smile broke out on her face when she turned around to see a shaggy dog. Sirius's mask covered his eyes and right cheek; covered in fur that blended well with his already-dark hair, the mask cast his him in a dark light. The only color on his face was his rosy, wonderful lips. Hermione almost sighed in happiness.

"I was beginning to think you had pulled a disappearing act."

"I could say the same, kitten," Sirius grumbled quietly, smiling gently at her chosen costume. He brought a hand up to feather the ends of her hair, brushing his knuckles gently over the skin above her bosom.

"I was working," Hermione mumbled, closing her eyes at the sensation. After a moment's indulgence, she looked back to him. "What's your excuse?"

He fixed her with a grin she had come to associate only with him. "I'll show you later, love. For now, I would love to see your lovely body move against mine."

Her cheeks blushing crimson at his bold words, she nodded. "I would love to dance."

Sirius barked a laugh, reaching for her glass and banishing it with his wand. She turned to the dance floor, but he grasped her hand to stop her. She turned around curiously to find his hand open in offering, a white rose in his palm. Taking her shocked silence as a good sign, he used his wand to wind the stem through her hair; the small white flower rested on top of her styled hair, directly above the outer corner of her right eye.

"Thank you," she whispered as he dragged her onto the dance floor. He looked back at her and winked, finding them a nice spot to move.

Sirius raised her hand that was grasped in his and brought his other hand to her waist. He began guiding her through the steps of an old waltz, one she remembered dancing to with Viktor at the Hogwart's Yule Ball in her Fourth Year. Sirius was more experienced, and a much better dancer, Hermione decided.

For a full hour, he led her around the floor as the music flowed from slow, to contemporary Christmas tunes, to faster paced jazz pieces, and again to quieter melodies. Hermione had only taken her eyes from Sirius once (when she heard Ginny snicker closely behind her); the remaining time she spent watching him carefully or nuzzled against his chest, uncaring of who saw.

By the hour mark of their movements together, his hands had moved to her waist and her arms twined comfortably around his shoulders. She was surprised when he came up to took her hand, twirling her out and back into him, cradling her back against his well-toned chest.

Hermione felt his hot breath past over her ear. "Would you like to see why I've disappeared these last several days?" Hermione settled for a nod. She felt one of his arms leave her waist. "I was off searching a for a Christmas gift, my kitten."

Hermione opened her eyes when she felt his arms both leave her. They quickly returned to her view, and something cool touched the skin between her breasts. Sirius moved her hair aside, and she heard something clasp behind her neck. Her own fingers fumbled with the pendant at her chest to bring it before her eyes.

The small pendant hung from a silver chain. In the middle was a brilliant, deep blue stone in a pear cut; surrounding its edges were smaller, lighter blue stones that twinkled in the dim light.

Hermione gasped suddenly. "That's sapphire! Is that a blue topaz?"

Sirius laughed, nuzzling his nose into her hair. "You really are the brightest witch of your age."

Hermione held the small token in her hand, shutting her eyes as she realized the magnitude of its intimacy, having a connection to both his life and her own. She blinked away silly tears as she turned in his arms to face him.

"I bought you a gift, but I wanted to find you something more special." There was no need for her to answer why she suddenly wished to do so. She looked up at him with a pretty blush. "This is so beautiful, though. Thank you so much. Anything you want, just ask."

Sirius smirked at her, his hands crawling from her sides to her hips as he snuggled against her tightly. "Anything?" Hermione gulped at his predatory gaze. He smirked wider. "Would you allow me to show you what else I did with my time before tonight?"

Hesitantly, Hermione nodded. Sirius took her hand gently, guiding her throughout the slowly swaying couples and out the large door. In the coat room, she gather her coat from Joseph Boot (now taking his shift), and stepped into Sirius's arms after he voiced his wish to Apparate to their destination. Traveling by floo with more than one person never worked smoothly.

Hermione closed her eyes against the squeezing sensation, holding tightly to Sirius. When they landed, he made sure she was stable on her heels before leading her away from the dark alley he had Apparated into. She found herself on the busy streets of London, and Sirius led her through the doors of the famed Metropolitan Hotel. Hermione bit her lip nervously as the entered the lavish establishment, Sirius leading her to the elevators and pressing the number ten.

Their ride was silent as she chewed her lip, absolutely embarrassed Sirius would spend so much money on her.

They reached the tenth floor and Sirius led Hermione to the end of the hall. There was a door in front of her, and a door on her left; Sirius pulled a key from his pocket and quickly unlocked the door to the left. He pulled Hermione in by the hand, and her breathing instantly stilled.

The room was so large! Directly across from her was one and one half incredibly large, floor-to-ceiling window (Sirius explained the window was divided by the wall separating the bedroom and the lounge). They had the most beautiful view of Hyde Park.

Hermione could not help but be drawn to the window, placing a tiny hand against the cool glass when her heels brought her close enough. She breathed out softly. "This is breathtaking."

"I thought you might like it. It's much brighter than Grimmauld." Sirius kissed the top of her ear, his hands winding around her waist. He led her over to a chair he had obviously turned to face the window prior to their arrival. "Sit down."

Sirius kneeled before her, slipping her heels carefully off her small feet and rubbing away the pain in her arches. His fingers smoothed over her ankles and back down to the balls of her feet. After paying adequate attention there, he moved to stand behind her. Hermione could watch his reflection in the window and still watch the lights of the city twinkle. Sirius slowly removed every hairpin from her style, untwisting the tendrils from her mask and speaking to her in low tones as he went.

"You looked stunning tonight, Hermione," he grumbled above her. She blushed lightly at his compliment. "Every man in the room looked at you at one point or another, you know. I even saw Draco Malfoy sneak a glance in there."

Hermione laughed, swatting at one of his hands above her head. "Oh, Sirius."

"I am, kitten," he joked with her. "You were truly the belle of the ball. Never has anyone so sexily flowed across a room. And that dress is positively sinful." He took a deep breath. "You've the smoothest skin, as well. It sparkled under the faeries."

Sirius finished removing the final pin from her hair. He ran his fingers across her scalp, her curls bouncing over his fingers. She hummed delightedly as he massaged the top of her head. After several moments, he drew his wand from his pocket and unsealed her mask from her face. Lifting it carefully, he placed in on the nearby table with her hairpins.

He moved back around to kneel in front of her.

"Let's not forget your more," Sirius' eyes flashed downward, and he brought his finger to trail the valley between her breasts, "wicked attributes."

Sirius trailed his finger up over her collarbone, throat and jaw, ending on her lips. He ran his thumb over her lower lip, pulling on it gently with a smirk. "And this color. You're really a temptress, Hermione."

Hermione pouted her lips at him. "I am not!"

Sirius chuckled, pulling lightly on her lip again. "I didn't say I was complaining."

Sirius leaned in, ghosting his lips across hers in a light kiss. Hermione moaned upon contact, leaning forward to return the gesture. The kissed gently, licking across the others' lips and nibbling on tongues. They tasted each other sweetly until Sirius, with a serious effort, pulled back. His hand under her chin tiled her head up.

"Stand up, kitten."

Hermione did as asked, accepting his outstretched hand to help her from her chair. He pulled her into his arms, smoothing a hand over her hair, kissing the top of her head.

Sirius held her eyes as he moved his hand to the satin strips of fabric that held her dress in place. He slowly undid the knot and loosened the crisscrossed back. He pulled his hands around again to her front, slowly peeling the material away until her nipples came into view. Stilling his stripping of her, he tweaked both of her nipples gently between his fingers, pulling a moan from her lips at his actions.

With a grin at her noises, Sirius continued moving his hands downward, the dress following his movement. When he reached the looser fabric at her hips, he let go, allowing gravity to pull the fabric down her legs and pool at her feet. His eyes traveling her body, Sirius groaned loudly at her fully naked self.

"No panties, Hermione? Gods, angel, you're too much."

Hermione's lips twisted into an amused smirk. She mirrored his earlier words: "I thought you might like it."

Sirius brought one hand to her smooth hip, the other dipping lower to finger through her tight curls. "What made you think we would be fraternizing tonight?"

"I hoped you enjoyed our last adventure as much as I did. I hoped you might come back for more," Hermione answered truthfully, looking at him with wide eyes as she bared herself to him.

Sirius nodded slowly, indicating his agreement. "I'll keep coming back as long as you let me."

"Good," Hermione whispered, slipping his dinner jacket down his shoulders. "I hope you've got the stamina to keep up, old man."

Sirius snorted in amusement. "I'll show you, little girl."

Sirius dipped his finger lower, dragging it across her lower lips to find her absolutely dripping wet. The both groaned together at her already heightened state of arousal, and Sirius backed her to the large bed, drawing circles over her drenched lower lips as they walked.

Sirius sat Hermione down and made to follow her, but she shook her head. She leaned back on her palms and looked up at him innocently. "Strip for me."

Sirius's cock jumped in his pants at her commanding tone. He wasted no time in thinking over her request, shedding his white collared shirt, shoes, socks, and pants in record time. He reached for his boxers, but she shooed him away, reaching forward and hooking her own fingers into the elastic. As she pulled them over his thighs, she licked across the top of his dick teasingly, ripping a low growl from his throat.

It was all it took. Sirius pounced on her, pushing her into the mattress and kissing her without abandon. The tore at each others hair as they shimmied further up the bed to lie on the pillows, mussing the duvet as they went.

Sirius wrenched his lips from hers, kissing gruffly down her neck and taking one taut nipple into his mouth. Hermione cried out when he pulled back with his teeth, releasing her bud before he hurt her. She moaned loudly when he did similarly with the other breast, her fingernails running lines down his shoulders. Sirius continued lathing her breasts while his hand inched downward _so slowly _Hermione nearly screamed in frustration. When he finally ghosted across her clit, Hermione thought she might cry in pleasure.

Dipping a finger into her tight pussy, Sirius smoothed her juices over her slit and tiny nub, which he began pinching gently and rubbing in circles. He pulled his mouth from her breasts and moved to lie at her side, gently nibbling on her ear as he played her with his fingers.

He began whispering dirty musings to her ears as he kissed them. "There's more windows in the lounge, kitten. You can see the whole park. There's a very large chair, too; it's white as snow. When we're finished here, I'm going to take you to it. Would you like me to tell you what I'll do?"

Hermione groaned loudly, grinding her hips against his finger as he flicked over her button. "Oh, Sirius, please."

"You seemed to like our previous adventure so much, I think it's important that we repeat it. I'm going to run my tongue from your hip to your thigh." His fingers moved from the target to follow the path his words described. "Of course, we can't have you getting too spoiled, kitten, so I won't give you what you want immediately. I think I'll run my tongue across the outside of your sweet pussy, not quite touching anything to sensitive."

Hermione moaned as his fingers ran across the top of her slit, trailing her juices after him with his finger.

"I can use my tongue anywhere you like, but you especially seemed to enjoy when I circled lightly just _here_." Hermione gasped as he flicked gently at her clit again with his wet fingers. He moved his hand lower, rimming her entrance before dipping a finger inside. "I think you enjoyed this too; when I pump in and out slowly; very slowly. Do you like this, Hermione?"

"Oh, Sirius," she moaned again, meeting his fingers with small thrusts of her hips. "Yes, yes."

She felt him smirk against her neck. "Then tell me what you want, love. Tell me how to please you."

Hermione stilled for just a second. She had pleasured herself many times before, but she had never spoken the words allowed before. It felt so naughty. She knew, though, it was something Sirius would love; so she swallowed her fear and pushed forward.

"I like everything you've said. As hard as it is, I like to be teased a bit."

Sirius withdrew his finger, again running lightly over her entrance and just barely brushing her clit. "Like this, kitten?"

"Oh, _yes,_" Hermione hissed in pleasure. "That's so tantalizing. I like when you lick very slowly at my clit; I like when you dip your tongue in and out of me; I like with you nibble on my clit, too. Oh!"

Hermione gasped as he followed her words with his hands, pinching her little bead instead of nibbling against it. She nodded in earnest. "Use your other hand, Sirius. Touch my chest."

Sirius groaned again as her commanding tone came back to the surface. He knew his Hermione would have a dominant side; he just had to find it. He moved to straddle her, still working her with his right fingers while taking to fondling her breast with the left. He dipped his head, taking her nipple between his lips and suckling gently. She mewled in pleasure.

"Oh, do that again." Sirius obliged, circling her nipple with his tongue as he pulled away. She moaned underneath him. "_Yes_. Oh, Sirius. Fuck me again with your fingers."

Sirius's cock jumped again at her dirty language, and he happily obliged, slipping two fingers into her entrance slowly. He pulled back slowly before plunging into her quickly, drawing a cry from her. He repeated the motion as she rocked underneath him.

"Oh, yes! Yes! Faster! Fuck me faster!" She groaned loudly beneath him. "Yes, Sirius! Use your thumb. Play with my clit. Oh, yes! Yes! Oh, yes, I'm—Sirius!"

Hermione shouted his name one last time to the ceiling as she came. Sirius felt her lower muscles grip tightly around his fingers, and he could hold himself back no more. He pulled his fingers from her entrance while she was still cresting her orgasm; he lined himself up at her entrance, already dripping wet himself, and pushed his tip into her. Finding no resistance on her part, he tilted his hips forward and pushed in all the way.

He moaned loudly as she screamed to the ceiling, her orgasm continuing to rip through her. "Oh, Sirius! Yes!"

"Hermione," he growled to the air as he began to pump in and out of her clenching muscles, plunging his cock deeply into her warm channel. He continued tweaking her nipples with his hands, keeping her floating on the edge of the clouds as he moved.

Finding herself still ready for more, Hermione had barely come down from her high when she found herself thrusting back against his hips wildly. She moved her leg, bringing her foot up to rest on his shoulder. Leaning over her to hold her securely in the splits, Sirius drove deeper into her, drawing cries of pleasure from her lips as they met each other roughly. It wasn't long before his strides became faster and harder, his groans louder, and breathing erratic. He reached between them to caress across Hermione's clit, bringing her to the brink again within several passes of his fingers.

Hermione clung tightly to his shoulders, meeting his hips fiercely with her own. She moaned under his fingers. "So close… Don't stop, Sirius."

"You've such a sweet pussy," Sirius growled into her neck, enticing her with his dirty words. "Come on, kitten. Let go."

Lifting her hips just an inch further, Hermione felt Sirius drive into the spot that made her lose complete control. Her fingernails dug deeper into his shoulder. "_Yes_, Sirius!"

Hermione saw stars burst behind her eyelids. She wrapped her legs tighter around Sirius, pulling him deeper into her heat with a clenching of her walls. She moaned deeply as the feeling of ecstasy ripped through her.

Sirius wasn't far behind. As soon as she clenched around his length, drawing him fully into her pulsating body and moaning his name, he felt his legs began to quiver and his balls tighten further. With another drive into her tight cunnie, he came hard, spurting hot jets of his seed into her as he pumped his hips.

"Oh, Hermione," he groaned, burying his sweaty face into her damp neck, smelling her most pure self as she writhed underneath him. He shot into her in four spurts before finally collapsing on top of her, sucking breath deeply into his lungs as his hand came up to curl into her hair.

They both lay there passively for a minute before Hermione finally shifted underneath him. He rolled off of her, spooning into her side and wrapping his arms possessively around her. "That was quite a Christmas gift."

Hermione laughed into his chest. "You're welcome. That wasn't half bad… for an old man."

Sirius lifted his head to find Hermione grinning like the Cheshire Cat. He raised an eyebrow, and she turned into him to laugh again. He ran a hand through her hair. "Whatever you say, little girl."

Hermione picked up her head, fixing him with a stare that clearly said she was up to something. She leaned in to ghost her lips across his before pulling back with a grin. "I believe you told me something about a large chair in the other room. If you can pick yourself up out of the bed, I'll promise to stop with the old man comments."

"I'm not sure I can bear it. Without an incentive, that is," Sirius joked, leaning back in to capture her lips again.

Hermione leaned away before he fully made contact. "Race you? I'll give you something special if you win."

Before Sirius could respond, Hermione was trying to wiggle her way off the bed. She nearly made it, before catching her foot in the covers and tumbling onto the floor. Sirius barked a laugh, clambering out of the bed to stand over her. He grinned, already bouncing on his heels. "You're on."

**A/N:** The gift that Sirius gives to Hermione is, as described above, a pendant with a sapphire stone (the darker blue) encircled by blue topaz stones (the lighter blue). Hermione describes the gift as intimate because sapphire and blue topaz are the birthstones for the months of September and December, respectively. Hermione is born in September. While it has never been specified (to my knowledge) what month Sirius was born, I chose December. Sirius, part of the _Canis Major _constellation, is also the name of the brightest star in the night sky; it is best viewed in spring and near the middle of December.


End file.
